


Sticky notes

by TeaSibby



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi Keiji & Kozume Kenma Friendship, Alternate Universe - College/University, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou Friendship, First Meetings, Kenma is a literature student, Kozume Kenma & Kuroo Tetsurou Friendship, Kozume Kenma and Kuroo Tetsurou Are Roommates, Kozume Kenma is a Good Friend, M/M, Minor Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, lowkey slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:21:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29962911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaSibby/pseuds/TeaSibby
Summary: Akaashi Keji is a university student majoring in modern literature and a full time true crime enthusiast. One day he finds a post it -note on his usual library desk  with an ugly drawing on it and surprises himself passing notes to a person he doesn't even know. That's when the most sappiest love story begins to unravel itself and Akaashi is apparently right in the middle of it.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 8
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

Akaashi was not feeling like studying today, but as much as he wanted to stay in his apartment and watch true crime documentaries he also wanted to get the credits from this course. And of course preferably be on the top of the class. So he really had no choice but to walk up to his usual spot and set up everything for the character analysis they were working on. When he was ready, he noticed a bright yellow spot in the corner of his field of vision. He sighed and proceeded to grab the sticky note that was stuck on the screen on the table to throw it away and go leave a complaint about the mess some students clearly left behind. But before he even touched the note, he caught himself smiling at it. There was a badly drawn owl and a speech bubble that said "Hoot hoot, I believe in you! Study well." Akaashi decided to leave the note in its place. Maybe it was something important and meant for someone else who would be devastated if the note wasn't there? Or at least that was what Akaashi told himself. But after studying for four solid hours, he realised how much that ugly owl had cheered on him when he felt like giving up. So naturally Akaashi took his pen and scribbled a simple turtle that said "Thank you, ugly owl!" He smiled at himself, being the comedian of the year, as he left the note where it was. 

For his surprise, the next day he went to the library and sat down he immediately saw a yellow note on the screen. Of course he thought it was the same note he left there yesterday but for his (pleasant) surprise it was a new one. The same owl was now looking sad and his speech bubble said "Hey, I am not ugly!!" Then there was another bubble. "However, get things done again today! You can do this!" Now Akaashi was definitely smiling at this owl. He hadn't even started studying yet, but he drew the same turtle again. "Are you really cheering on me or someone else?" Akaashi opened his books and got to work, sometimes looking at the owls "You can do this!" It didn't matter if it was meant to him specifically or not, Akaashi just enjoyed having the owl there. Maybe it was time for him to admit that everything abnormal wasn't just distraction? He had been the kid from grade school to high school who exposed others for passing notes in class because it always distracted him… A thought crossed Akaashi's mind and he tried to shrug it off immediately. No, it wasn't because he was never the one the note was sent to. No, it was the movement involved in the process that kept bugging him back then. But this was nice. As he left the library, he was hoping that the owl would say that yes, he was the one it was cheering on.

Akaashi usually went to the library after all his classes were over. But today he was impatient and excused himself from his usual group of literature students and walked to the library to see if he had gotten an answer already. His smile dropped when he noticed that the note from yesterday was still up without any additions. Beaten by the fact he still didn't know if he was the one, he sat down to the cafeteria table. 

"What's wrong Akaashi? You seem to be a bit down today?" Kenma, his classmate and closest friend at the time asked. 

"It's nothing. I'm just waiting for… something", Akaashi answered. 

"Very specific, ‘Kaashi", Kenma laughed at him "Waiting for what?" All of a sudden, Akaashi felt embarrassed about the fact he was waiting for a sticky note on a library table. He wanted to keep that to himself. It was his little secret.

"Shut up, it's really nothing. Only a text." He really tried to brush it out as if it was nothing. Kenma nodded with a knowing smirk on his face. If you were at least a bit familiar with Kenma, you would know Akaashi's intention to keep this to himself was not going to work for long.

"Okay then, keep your secrets… Just promise me you invite me to the wedding."

"Hey! I am not getting married anytime soon. It's not like that."

"Sure, sure. Can I be the bestman?" 

"Oh my god, stop before I murder you in Agatha Christie -style. Or would you prefer more modern, maybe Jo Nesbo?" He was just patted on the head when Kenma stood up. 

"And that, my dear Akaashi, would be something I call a crime of passion", he said as he winked and ran away before Akaashi was able to grab him and give a friendly slap on his face.

"Remember Jo Nesbo when you go sleep tonight!" Akaashi exclaimed after his friend. When he was left alone, he decided to wait until the last class and walk straight to the library without going home to eat first. 

When the clock was five minutes over five pm, Akaashi was already on his way. He caught himself being nervous this time. Why did he make this such a big deal to himself? It was just a stupid note after all and it might not be even meant to him. But surely he was dying to know if it was. He hurried his way, greeted the nice lady at the front desk for the second time today and went straight to his place. He almost screeched when he saw that the note was new. This time the owl was holding tiny pom-poms and winking. 

" _Do you feel cheered up? If so, then yes I am cheering just on you, Turtle._ " 

Under the picture there was text without a bubble. 

" _Owl wonders what subject Turtle is studying? Ps. The Saga updates after 3 pm on weekdays._ " If someone had asked, Akaashi wouldn't have been able to explain what he was feeling right now in a million years. On top of everything was plain happiness and that was the only thing he was able to isolate from the block of feelings. Akaashi took out his pencils and drew a turtle, now with glasses holding a book. " _How about you?_ " the turtle asked. After thinking a while, Akaashi added a name to the book. He decided it was only fair to make the book to be one of his favourite modern detective stories "Glass bodies by Erik Axl Sund". He really hoped that Owl was smart enough to infer his major from there. And also that Owl was not going to judge him by the book, since it was a bit dark and rather gory even for a modern crime story. After his study session, Akaashi decided to add one more thing. 

" _I swear I am not a serial killer!_ "

"Okay, Akaashi, something is really up. You are clearly waiting for something!" Kenma basically slammed Akaashi's coffee on the table, waking him up from his coma where the only thing he saw was the clock ticking forward painfully slowly. It was only 2 pm and it would be one hour before his note was read and answered and two to three hours before he could go and read it. 

"Do you promise you won't laugh at me?" Akaashi asked while grabbing his coffee, deciding he needed to share this with someone. Just in case something happens and he needs help. 

"Only if it's not ridiculous or extremely dumb", Kenma smirked and sipped his iced coffee. Akaashi shook his head.

"That's cruel. I am out here opening my poor heart to you and you can't promise to not laugh at it… I am talking to someone." Akaashi turned his eyes to the floor. Kenma leaned back on his chair and crossed his legs.

"That was obvious. To who?" 

"This might be the ridiculous part: I don't know." Kenma looked like he was about to choke on his coffee. This was probably a turn he hadn't expected with Akaashi’s promising love story. He leaned back in, as this was top secret information.

"And how in the world is that even possible? Are you chatting with someone online?" 

"No! No… I'm-- She-- He-- They! They are a student in this university because we use the same library desk." Kenma was now, if possible, even more visibly confused. 

"And you know that because?" This was the part Akaashi found really hard to say out loud. He was not the one who passes notes with a random person! Or at least he hadn't been that one, because that was exactly what he was doing now. 

"We are talking via sticky notes…" Akaashi mumbled under his breath as quietly as possible. 

"What? Akaashi I can't hear shit you say. You are talking..?"

"Via sticky notes. Post it notes”, Akaashi mumbled and he knew that his face had to be red by now.

"Excuse me? Akaashi, you have now broken the new world record of the most ridiculous way to fall for someone. Congrats", Kenma said and laughed at him mercilessly. 

"Stop, you are now jumping into your own conclusions! I never said anything about falling for them. I don't know anything about them!" Akaasi took a sip from his coffee. He was confident about shutting Kenma down.

"I have never heard you sighing that deep when thinking anything, not to mention this time it's someone. You are totally having a big time crush on this note-person", Kenma said, winking and smiling like he knew something that Akaashi didn't. Akaashi shook his head and was about to argue back when Kenma simply raised his pointer finger and stopped Akaasi from talking. 

"For a literature-nerd you are confusingly blind with romance."

"That's not a very nice thing to say…" 

"But think about it! How many times have read about characters falling in love and having crushes? We had an assignment about that, and if I remember correctly you were in a top 5 point wise? So my question is: Akaashi Keji, are you blind, stupid, lying to yourself or all of the above?" Kenma's eyes pierced Akaashi. The other was maybe on the shorter side and looked like a soft person, but he was ruthless when it came to speaking the truth and nothing but the truth. 

"Your theory has one huge plothole in it… You forget that my life is not a book. I am not the protagonist of a sappy love story filled with coffee and flowers and sticky notes. My life is more like a… Filler or a sequel that is doomed before it’s even released", Akaashi had meant to be funny, but his voice was way more hurt than it should've been to make the statement a joke. Kenma bit his lip and looked at Akaashi with his head tilted a bit. He didn't say anything, but the look in his eyes was calming. Like he was trying to say "You are wrong" in a nicest and softest way possible. 

"Make yourself the protagonist then", Kenma said at last, smiling. Akaashi frowned at him.

"And how exactly? Mind you, I am not a writer, I am the analyser." Kenma shook his head, took a long sip of his coffee and then looked like he was preparing to give a lecture for him.

"Easy, just think of yourself as one. And make moves only a protagonist would do. Pass the notes, rush to the library with your coffee of whatever. Meet your soulmate and then you can date, break up, date again, get married, be a runaway bride… Just stop thinking what is the worst that could happen", Kenma said and nodded to himself.

Akaashi hated Kenma's statement. Not because it was necessarily bad or because it was too artsy or something like that. He hated it because Kenma was right, like most of the time. And he said just the thing Akaashi was afraid to hear, because it meant that the ball was now on his court. Now he knew what to do, it was only the matter of getting himself to do it. Akaashi shook his head a little. 

"I don't think I am capable of doing anything like that. But anyway…" he tried to think of something else to talk about "How does it feel to have someone to share your living space with? Didn't Kuroo moved in recently?" 

"Yeah… It's different. A whole new world to an only child like me, but we manage. Although he says I stay up way too late for my own good, but I say that's bullshit", Kenma answered, but his disappointed glance told Akaashi that this would not end here. "Also he snores." 

Akaashi tried to keep a straight face when the thought of Kuroo snoring as poor Kenma tried to fall asleep on his own bed invaded his mind. 

"The reason why I will never again share a room or an apartment with anyone..." Akaashi said and thought that one time he had to live in a shared dorm for one semester. Never again. Akaashi went ahead and took a student loan to live by himself nearby the university campus.

"But it's still not that bad. Kuroo is a good cook and is happy if I eat what he makes so I can't complain. And it's nice to have someone there… Just in case one of us wants to talk." Akaashi thought he saw a quick embarrassed flicker in Kenma's eyes and he was tempted to ask more about their late night talks with Kuroo, but something about his posture made Akaashi swallow his curiosity. For now, at least. 

"Is Kuroo dating someone, by the way?" Akaashi bit his tongue after asking. Didn't he just make a deal with himself to save this for later? Kenma looked uneasy for a second before he collected himself and sipped his coffee. 

"Not that I know? He surely is popular and gets confessions like every other day but… He doesn't seem to care", Kenma shrugged. 

"Maybe he's waiting?" Akaashi blurted out before thinking his words first. Judging from the reaction he got he maybe should have. 

"What are you exactly trying to accomplish with this?" Kenma spitted out. Akaashi was surprised by the aggressive tone in another's voice and he raised his hands as a gesture of peace. 

"Nothing, I swear. I'm sorry, I was just curious. It's been a long time since I talked with Kuroo and now when you live with him I figured you would be the one to know if-- you know. Sorry Kenma, I didn't mean anything", Akaashi's bad habit was to start to ramble when he noticed someone was not precisely happy. A deep wrinkle on Kenma's forehead smoothed down and he brushed his hair out of his face, behind his ear. 

"No I'm sorry. I haven't slept that well and get all grumpy from the tiniest things… But back to the notes-person, shall we? Do you have any speculations? Anything?" Akaashi noticed how smoothly Kenma had changed the subject. Now it was his time to shrug. 

"I honestly have nothing. They don't leave that many clues…" Akaashi really tried to think about anything that would lead him to the person he was talking to. But he couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t so far-fetched it was ridiculous.

"And you do then? Or that's what it sounds like." Kenma honestly wanted to start a fire. Or he begged to be punched or something similar. The look on his face was so amused, it was starting to get scary.

"No! I mean I told them my major and that's pretty much it. And I asked theirs." Kenma smirked at Akaashi’s answer. 

"Okay… Keep me updated, will you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank you for reading the first chapter!  
> This has not been beta read by another set of eyes, so please let me know if there is any major mistakes that have to be fixed. Also I am sorry for advance, I am not really used to write happy love stories so bare with me! Akaashi and Bokuto are highkey my comfort ship and this was a random idea I came up with when I was trying to sleep one night. I also wish that posting the first part will inspire to actually finish this one. That's all. Have a good one!


	2. Chapter 2

As the weeks passed, Akaashi found out more and more about the person he was talking to. Apparently their studies revolved around sports and they were some kind of athlete themself. The notes got longer every time and Owl and Turtle became only the side part of the messages. It wasn't on purpose, but one day the moment of realisation struck Akaashi in the middle of the class when he was thinking about what possibly awaited him tonight at the library. He whispered "oh no" out loud and got weird looks from his classmates. Most importantly, Kenma smiled at him looking like he just won the lottery. Akaashi started to look back on the notes he had left and well. He had done it for a week or so. But the reason he didn't notice that was because the responses he got had the same energy. 

"Kenma, I think I may have been flirting with Owl. And they might have been flirting back to me", Akaashi started as he sat down on the table in the cafe. He was dead serious about this and Kenma just nodded without skipping a beat. 

"Tell me more. I can't wait to hear how oblivious you are."

"Okay so… The day before yesterday they said that, and I quote here, " _ Do you think I dare to ask out someone who might be a serial killer? _ " And then I answered " _ Maybe? As a university student I would take that chance. Do you think turtles can hold knives? _ " And yesterday they answered: " _ No, I don't think so. Turtles are way too pacifists for knives. If I was being killed by a turtle it would kill me by hitting me with a book. Or by telling me overly sweet love stories until I get diabetes and die from that. _ " Where I answered: " _ I think you are safe with training like that. Do you think owls eat reptiles as a snack or are they more of a special lunch for them? _ " Kenma was biting his lip and Akaashi sat there, waiting for his friend to say literally anything. When it didn’t seem to happen, Akaashi crossed his arms. 

“Analysis, please." He was kinda waiting Kenma start to laugh and then tell him how stupid he was. But Kenma had been actually concentrating on his speech and was ready to deliver what Akaashi had asked for. 

"Yeah, you can definitely take out that maybe from your sentence... I am surprised at the level of witty you both are on. Also, did you really ask if you are a snack or a lunch? Bringing out the food allegories and all?" Kenma looked at Akaashi behind his mug, apparently trying to hide his amused expression and shaking his head a bit. "My god Akaashi, that is thirsty! Who are you and what did you do to my friend?" 

"Okay, but… What next? If that was flirting, what comes next?" Akaashi ignored the clear undertone of ‘you don’t flirt with people’. He knew that this wouldn't last long if there wasn't any progress. But how did people go from half-jokingly flirting to more serious conversations? 

"Akaashi, you are an idiot! Of course you ask them out next. Today, you write something like: enough this note-passing, when your class is over, want to grab coffee with me? and then Owl says yes and you go on a date. You find out who Owl is and then you'll probably ditch me because you are too busy dating that new person and I'll be drinking my coffee alone", Kenma sighed and threw his hand dramatically on his forehead. "But I think I'll manage. I will remember you as a great friend that went down with a newfound relationship."

"Kenma stop! I'm not going to leave you or anything. And who said anything about relationships? I am just curious… How does it feel like to- You know… Date someone?" Kenma stopped his dramatical show and stared Akaashi with a plain face before a smile started to play on his lips. 

"What? It's not funny!" Kenma couldn't hold it any longer and he busted out laughing. He laughed to the point where he was wheezing. Akaashi was not amused at this reaction, but he waited so that Kenma would calm down. When he finally dried the corners of his eyes, still randomly giggling, Akaashi was prepared. 

"Thanks, but it's not funny at all! It was a genuine question!" 

"No, no of course! It just- Akaashi Keji, the top of the class, the prettiest one of the modern literature students, the smartest and probably the most wanted and liked, has not been on a single date before. And better to come, his first date will be with a person he has never seen before. Don't even try to look into my eyes and say that's not hilarious!" Akaashi looked Kenma dead in the eye. 

"It's not hilarious."

Kenma's face dropped as he understood he'd gone too far. He still thought Akaashi's situation was ridiculously similar to a cheesy old love story and if that was not hilarious Kenma had no idea what could be considered as funny anymore. 

"I am not the right person to ask that", he answered Akaashi's previous question, getting more serious now. "I doubt my experiences can be counted in as the right answer to that question." Akaashi frowned. 

"What do you mean? Taking into consideration I have never been out with anyone I am happy to take any info from anyone. And my probability to stumble upon a bad date is rather high. So please-" 

"No."

Akaashi found this extremely not Kenma-like. Usually the other would happily tell him some sort of a dating horror story in order to have a laugh at Akaashi's terrified expression and then explain dates are fun and people are often really nice. But Kenma had a staring contest with his coffee, and there were no dating hell stories coming up. 

"But what if-" 

"Not possible. This Owl actually likes you. Your date will be amazing, far from mine hell of a date, end of discussion. Don't worry about it." Kenma swinged his hand dismissevly.

"Kenma, what does that even mean?" Akaashi tried to find a joke in Kenma's look, but he didn't find it. This was not supposed to be a serious conversation at all.

"Did I just say "yes Akaashi keep talking"? End of discussion, you hear? Thank you", Kenma suddenly stood up with his cup in his hand. He looked annoyed, but in Akaashi's head the look turned into something else. 

"Where are you going now? I thought we were supposed to read together? Kafka kinda requires two brains working together." Kenma flashed a quick smile to him.

"I just now remembered I have to go home. Kuroo needed me to be there today, so I have to fly. You can read the next two chapters without me, yes? And go to the library and ask them on a date. You won't regret it", Kenma explained a very obvious lie. Akaashi was about to point out that Kuroo too had an evening class today and definitely would not be home yet, but he for some reason let it slide. Maybe it was just Kenma's social battery suddenly running down. 

"Okay? Say hi to Kuroo for me then… See you tomorrow", Akaashi said goodbyes to his friend. When Kenma had walked out and Akaashi was left alone he immediately turned to see the clock. It was 3.30 pm and Akaashi had a really hard time deciding whether to read the next chapters in here and then run to the library or to run now and then try to read in the library. Both were bad options when thinking how much Akaashi would actually be able to concentrate on the text he was reading. He still came to the conclusion it was better to read here, so he took out Franz Kafka's The Trial and opened it almost from the middle. He read the first sentence and sighed. This would be way more difficult that he thought. 

After fighting himself through the two next chapters Akaashi put Kafka's book back to his bag and zoomed out from the cafe. He kept himself from running down to the library, but it was not far from that. He again greeted the lady in the front desk with a smile and almost ran to his usual spot. 

" _ A special snack for sure. _ " Akaashi smiled at an owl that ate chips in the picture, winking it's eye. His heart skipped a beat, when he read the last line from the bottom of the note. " _ All jokes aside, do you want to meet? I know I do. _ " Akaashi felt how a warm feeling spread to his cheeks. Of course he wanted to meet! But what if this was a bad idea? What if Owl was just a creep or if Akaashi had fallen for an idea of this person and the truth was something else? What if it was the other way around? What if Akaashi wasn't something they wanted? What if it was a guy who thought he was talking to a cute girl, something that Akaashi most definitely was not? What if it was a guy? Akaashi gave it a second. Did it matter to him anyway? Not really. He was more keen on the personality he had got to know for the past two weeks, so at this point Akaashi didn't care about the gender that much. Of course it would be a new area to discover about himself, but he would've had to face it sooner or later. His hand was a bit unstable, when he wrote his answer to the corner. " _ I do too. Maybe text me when you get the note? _ " Akaashi scribbled his phone number in the corner and drew a turtle holding a phone, clearly waiting for something. 

When he left the library, after reading an extra chapter of The Trial, he held his phone in his hand. He really did hope no-one else would find that note and start to spam-call him. As stupid and unrational it was, his brain really did wait Owl to call or text him in any second passing. He wanted to tell someone what was going on, and he decided to give Kenma a shot. There was a good chance he wasn't going to go to bed anytime soon. And a good chance that Kenma would be brutally honest about his opinion on this.

"Yes?" Kenma's usual, bored and colourless voice answered almost immediately. 

"I did a bad thing. Kenma, I really did a bad thing this time and I am not even sorry about it." Akaashi blurted out before thinking it too much. 

"What. Did you. Do? Akaashi please, I don't like the tone of your voice, you are creeping me out with all that excitement."

"I left my number there. On the note." Akaashi slammed his hand over his mouth after saying it out loud. He had hopped on a train without thinking where it would take him, but it was too late to resign now. 

"That's stupid Akaashi, what if someone else finds it?" Kenma worded Akaashi's worst case scenario that was on his mind. Otherwise, Akaashi had waited way worse than this.

"I know, but if so they have also witnessed our whole conversation… Which would be unfortunate I might add. But I think no-one else uses that table? It doesn’t have a computer and it’s in the furthest corner, so that’s why--" 

"Why did you do it like that? Why didn't you just simply ask them if they wanted to meet?" Akaashi heard Kenma’s sigh of disappointment through the phone.

"They were quicker. The note said that they wanted to meet me. I didn't have a chance to ask first..." 

"What did they say? How did they ask you out?" Kenma spoke on top of Akaashi’s mumbling. Akaashi could hear voices in the background. It sounded like an argument to him, and it made him worried if Kenma was okay. 

"It said: All jokes aside, do you want to meet? I know I do. Are you okay there?" 

"Yeah, Kuroo has his crackhead friend over and they are playing UNO or something… They are just loud. I'll be fine." Akaashi could almost hear Kenma's eye-roll when screaming intensified in the background. 

"I am not sure if I am really excited over this or ready to pass away gracefully… Leaving my number there wasn't the best of me, was it?" He heard Kenma take a deep breath. 

"Yeah, no. In fact that was the worst decision you have made in a while and that is a lot said because you are friends with me and Kuroo… Are you sure you'll be fine? Do you want me to come with you to your date in case that's just some creep? You know, I will be like a spy. You won’t even know I am there." Kenma mumbled. He was unusually not-sharp. 

"No, I think I'll be fine. I will not go and do something stupid like go to their house? We may see each other at the library or something. But if you want to I can keep your number chosen on my phone so I can call you anytime if I feel insecure… So you can come save me if needed." Akaashi heard how Kenma sneered at him.

“Yes. Please. I don’t want you to get hurt or anything…” Kenma was quiet for a while and when he spoke again he sounded way more perky than he usually was “You know what?”

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Akaashi tried to push aside how much younger Kenma sounded when he spoke in a normal tone instead of his usual “i don’t care”-tone.

“I changed my mind, can you come to hang out? I am having a hard time not burning those UNO cards right here right now. I think if I have a friend over they could maybe take a hint...” Akaashi agreed on the plan to get a loud friend out of the house and walked to the bus stop, his heart still racing. When he was waiting for the last bus, he really had time to think what he had done. In fact, he was very grateful that Kenma had changed his mind. Akaashi didn't usually crave for social contacts, but he just wanted to be with someone right now. Somehow his dead-silent apartment, that was usually comforting, wasn't calling him. Even though he knew that hanging out with Kenma would be just as quiet, but to be near someone was enough for him for now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!   
> First of all: Thanks for CheCheCheer for helping me out with the notes!  
> Secondly: I try my best to update this fic once in a week or so until it's completed.


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